10 must-visit restaurants in Cape Town

Want to guzzle your way through The Mother City? From consistently delicious everyday eateries to nose-to-tail restaurants and one-of-a-kind fine dining experiences, we round up some of our firm favourites.

La Tête

Located in Cape Town’s trendiest restaurant strip, Bree Street, the award-winning La Tête (the head) restaurant serves up nose-to-tail dishes inspired by British, French and Spanish bistro cuisine. Although the menu changes daily depending on what’s fresh and available – if you’re lucky, give the ox hearts, crispy pig tails or the famous fish sandwich a whirl. The madeleines have a fanbase of its own, too.

South China

Arguably the best dim sum in Cape Town, South China is located in the vibey Long Street. The menu of this charming Asian-style eatery boasts everything from beef pot stickers, char sui bao, har gow to braised beef shortrib.

The Test Kitchen

Luke Dale-Roberts’ The Test Kitchen has been voted the number one restaurant in South Africa by Eat Out restaurant guide for the sixth consecutive year in 2017. Think the likes of tandoori quail on a poppapadum crisp, savoury billionaire’s shortbread made with chilli, dark chocolate and duck and ceviche with a herbaceous stinging-nettle granita.

Tjing Tjing

This rooftop bar offers splendid views of The Mother City. Apart from its moreish cocktails, the fabulous fare here will have you ordering seconds. Try the tapas plates that include fat chips with miso aioli or the karaage chicken.

Chef’s Warehouse

Tantalising tapas are the order of the day. Expect anything from a beef brisket with polenta, kingklip with Cape Malay dressing and pickled saffron onions.

The Alba

New kid on the block, Alba – is a fine-dining boat restaurant that recently launched at the V&A Waterfront, and is no doubt on our radar. It can accommodate 72 guests for bubbly brunches, fine-dining lunches and dinners paired with wines or simply, high teas.

La Petite Colombe

Take a trip out to the breathtakingly beautiful Franschoek, with its old Cape Dutch Architecture. For the amuse bouche you could expect Cape Malay pickled fish with creamy smoked snoek, piccalilli and salsa verde or Asian-style salmon dotted with aubergine, miso mayo, kalamansi, droplets of deep-fried avo, and wobbling umami jelly cubes. Next up – a seared Wagyu rump with fall-apart braised brisket.

Chef’s

The menu changes daily, with options that could include creamy fish tartare, herb-crusted wood-roasted sirloin and vanilla panna cotta.

Rare Grill

Love steak? This hidden gem in Cape Town’s Harfield Village serves up some of the best steaks in the city. Choose between superb cuts of sirloin, rump or fillet (200g or 300g), which have all been wet-aged for up to four weeks. They’re accompanied by your choice of sides and sauces. The menu items could include the popular 500g fillet on the bone; the 500g grass-fed black Angus; or a 1kg t-bone steak, which is perfect for sharing.

Hokey Poke

Bowl food has become a favourite among many local Cape Town foodies. With its range of fresh ingredients, it’s the perfect dish for summer, consisting of raw fish with an array of other fresh ingredients.